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Road Glide vs. Ultra Classic

S

specialk

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Greetings! I did a little intro in the new member section, but to condense it - I've been reading for about 8 years, on my 2nd bike now -- 1500 Vulcan Classic - (50K in 6 years) and now I'm looking to upgrade.

I was at a local dealer yesterday, looking at the UC and the salesguy, after hearing that I ride daily (bikes my 'only' transportation) plus I ride on the weekends with my wife, said that I should look at the RG rather than the UC. 'Same' bike, just a little smoother on the RG. If I did the RG I'd still want the tour pak, plus I like the UC seat more (the pillion is higher than the RG).

Thoughts? opinions? Facts? :)
 
Well, Frankly I like the look of an Ultra better. So that is what I would buy.

However...I know a gent who has owned a lot of cycles (he has five now) and read a lot about the history of cycles. In his opinon, The RG is the only Harley that has a real deal fairing. According to him, a fairing is supposed to be fixed to the frame. Hence, the RG has a fairing, proper.

I had really never thought about it. So I ask this gent...what about an Ultra, Classic, Electra Glide standard, or Streetglide, they are supposed to have fairings? His reply was :newsmile058:"no those are not fairings, HD and others can call them what they want, but they are not a true fairing."

Yeah he says if a guy wants a Harley with a fairing...it has to be a Roadglide, period.

This summer I was touring in the Smokey Mts. and talked to a gent who has had a lot of Harley's. Now his present Harley is a RG. He said he loved it and his next harley will be a Roadglide or whatever touring frame there is that has a fairing bolted to the frame. He claims he likes the handling better if the fairing is fixed to the frame.

Personally I have never rode a RG, so I don't know squat about them. I have ridden an Ultra a number of times. IMHO...both are mighty fine rides. :D

To me the RG and the SG look better with the Chopped tourpak vs the regular taller tour pack.
 
I really like the look of both bikes but for different reasons. Both looks are very appealling, I honestly can't pick one over the other (for looks) but the RG seems 'sleeker' for daily driver use.

I can say that it's a requirement (to me) that I get the hard pak for touring, I'll keep it off on a daily basis -- unless it's a PITA to remove/replace it, in which case I'll just get the UC :)
 
I have a 08 RG & I love it :bigsmiley24: I never rode a UC so I can not give you a opinion on it . The stock seat on the 08 RG is fantastic I can ride 10 to 12 hours & still want to ride more but I dont ride 2 up often . It all depends on how much you want to spend , I got my RG for $18,500 out the door a UC was about $4000 more , I can buy a lot of goodies for 4 grand . A tour pack will cost you about a $1000 with the quick disconnect kit but it still leaves me with $ 3000 for the toys . I do not know about you , but you may want to put on pipes & a stage 1air filter kit & a race tuner no matter what bike you get so the $$$ you save on the RG will help you pay for the upgrades . You should just rent a UC 1 weekend & a RG the next weekend , that way you can have your own opinion & then talk $$$$ with the dealer .
 
I own a 2007 RG. Here's the deal on RGs vs UCs. The RG is a better handling and riding bike. Take one for a test ride and you'll notice the difference vs the UC. HOWEVER because the fairing is so much farther away from you than on the UC, you will get a lot more wind turbulence at your head with a RG! Take both bikes on the highway at about 70 mph and you'll see what I mean. You may have to go with a taller windshield to solve this problem but then you'll have to look THROUGH it instead of over it. Also the cost to make the RG a true long distance touring rig vs the cost of an UC would probably bode well in the UCs favor. My advice - Drive them both back to back. Take note of slow speed maneuverability(+RG), high speed stability(+RG), wind turbulence around your head at highway speeds(+UC), clarity of the radio at 70 mph(+UC), lighting for night riding(+UC) and value for the money(+UC). Is the UC worth the extra dough? You'll know the answer after you ride both bikes. Good Luck! PS - I think overall the UC would be a better bike for you because the RG is more of a sport tourer and the UC is set up more for comfort on long rides.
 
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Thanks to all for your input. Since I'm really looking for a tourer, it would see the UC is a better choice. Though it would still be my daily, getting something setup for distance seems the better call. Very nice info!

BTW, I will be riding both tomorrow - the dealer is right next to a freeway so I shouldn't have any problem getting a good feel for both bikes in all kinds of traffic and on all kinds of roads. Thanks again.
 
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For my money, and I mean that literally :s , I prefer the Ultra. I can understand the Road being a better handling bike probably because you're not moving the additional weight (fairing, lights, radio, speakers, gauges, etc) every time you turn the bars. If you're going to tour 2up, the Ultra is the ticket. One other thing that always freaked me about the Road is at low speeds, when turning the bars the light stays straight ahead. My '84 FXRT was the same way, that's why I removed the fairing altogether.

Whatever you choose, ride safe.
Jammr
 
I had a Ultra, put a lot of money in it and loved the look and the ability to carry a lot of extras. That being said I sold her and bought a RG and would not go back to the Ultra. The RG handles so much better than the Ultra. I really like the RG when I get to some twisties, smooth throught the turns. At any rate it is up to each rider as to what he or she wants. Good luck with which ever bike you pick.
 
The RG handles better due to a lower C of G; but there is two things I don't like about it.
One, the continual helmet buffet that I seem to get.
Two, the twin headlights just look too metric to me.
I prefer the Ultra or Classic any day.

Just my opinion.
Rod
 
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